﻿U7 



OniiLDER& 



0UBBKSB7. 



M* 



•ant public wmlk. The town i« well built, and coutains MTrrml pratty 

 diurebe*, a town-ball, a bouM of correctioD, aii<l the S'OraTenhof, or 

 palaoe of tbe oouitta of Qelderland, all of whiob am atatcly edifice*. 



BardtK}^ ii a fortified port cm tbe Zuider-Zee : tbe inbabitanta, 

 about 5000 in number, carry on tbe berriug-fiabery, and bave a consi- 

 dvraMe com trade. 



Thid, a fortreta on tbe rigbt bank of tbe Waal, ia a place of aome 

 manufacturiug induatrr, and baa 5000 inbabitanta. 

 GUELDEU& [RuELS Pbovisz.] 

 OUfiKET. [Crkdse.] 



UUEKNSKY, one of the islands of the English Channel, belonging 

 to England, is situated in the Gulf of Avnuiches, between 49° 24' and 

 49° 30' K. Ut, 2° 32' and 2° 47' W. long. It ia distant (12 mile* S. from 

 Torquay ; 120 mile* SlW. from Southampton ; 45 mile* W. by S. from 

 Cherbourg. The popuhition of tbe island in 1851 waa 29,757. The 

 form nf the island approximates to that of a right-angled triangle : 

 the sides face the south, east, and uorth-west, and are respectively 

 about (iji 8, <^nd 9 miles long ; the circuiufvreuce of tbe isL^nd is about 

 30 miles. The coast is somewhat difficult of approach, from the 

 number of rock* and the rapidity of the currents around it. The 

 tides rise to the height of 32 feet Tbe northern part of the island is 

 a level tract, and the coast for the most part lies low : the southern 

 part is more elevated, but the high ground is intersected by narrow 

 valleys and deep glens, and the coast is lofty and abrupt. Springs 

 and rivukta are plentiful. Good roads lead from St. Peter Port to 

 diil'creut mrts of the island. 



The island ia almost entirely of granitic formation : the rocks are 

 chiefly gneiss, granite, and sieuite. Sienite is quarried at Grande 

 Rocque, on the north-west side of the island, for building ; and at 

 8t. Sampson's, on the enst of the island, a gray or black granite is 

 wrought It is used for building and paving, and large quantities of 

 it are sent to Loudon and Portsmouth. Some trap rocks and mica and 

 argillaceous schist occur in the western part of the island. A lode of 

 copper has been found near Fort George. 



The climate of Guernsey is subject to frequent but not great varia- 

 tions : the thermometer seldom rises above 80° of Fahrenheit, or falls 

 as low as 37°, and never remains long stationary at the freezing 

 poiut Themean winter temperature is about 41° 62'; that of summer 

 60° 7'. Snow is rare, and frosts are neither severe nor durable. 

 Curing tbe spring easterly winds prevail, but the prevailing winds 

 during the rest of the year are westerly. 



The soil is fertile, but the improvement of the land has been 

 checked by the minute subdivision of property. The country people 

 live upon and cultivate their own estates, the largest of which is said 

 not to exceed 200 Guernsey vergees, or about 744 English acres, and 

 few of them exceed half that size. Wheat and barley are generally 

 grown, tbe red wheat having the preference. Parsnips are used for 

 winter fodder for cattle, and for fattening them ; clover is largely 

 raised. Potatoes yield excellent crops. The ploughed lands are 

 never sufiered to lie fallow. The principal manure used is sea-weed. 

 Tbe isUnd breed of horses has been greatly improved of late years. 

 Tbe breeding of cattle, especially of cows, is in Guernsey an object of 

 great attention. Tbe dairy is in all farms of any size the principal 

 object of attention, and the chief source of profit. Tbe butter is in 

 high repute. Swine ore numerous, and the hogs attain a great size. 

 Poultry ia sent to market in large quantities. 



Tbe island is not so well wooded a* Jersey. In some parts however 

 there is tolerable abundance of wood. The hedgerows are chiefly of 

 furze. The orchard* are productive, and a considernble quantity of 

 cider is made. The mildnes* of the climate affords opportunities for 

 raising in the open air fruit-trees which in England require artificial 

 heat or shelter. Tbe cultivation of flowers is carried on with great 

 Sttcceas. 



A great variety of fish is taken on tbe shores of the island ; crab*, 

 lobster*, cray-fi«h, and oysters are abundant There is also a shell-fisb, 

 ■aid to be peculiar to tbe Channel lalauds, called tbe ormer, which, 

 when dressed, is a favourite dish. 



The only division of Guernsey is into parishes : these are ten in 

 Bttl&ber, and, with their situation, and population in 1851, are as 

 follows: — St Andrew, central, 1204; C&tel, or St Mary-de-Castro, 

 west and ceotrml, 2182; Forest, south, 673; St Martin, south-east, 

 1908; St Peter-du-Bois, west and *outh-west 1162; St Sampson, 

 north, 2006; St Saviour, west and central, 1037; Turteval, aouth- 

 wast, 856 ; the Vale, north, 2110; St Peter Fort, east, 17,070. 



Tbe only town in Guernsey i* St. Peltr Port, *ituated on the slope 

 of a bill about the middle of the eastern coast of the island, and 

 extending for nearly a mile along the shore. Tbe population of the 

 town parish in 1851 was 10,778. Kew Town, as the upper part of 

 tbe town is called, and what ia termed HauteviUe (the upper town), 

 on ths slope of the hill to the south-west of the old town, are the 

 most modsm and best built quarters. Tbe appearanoe of St Peter 

 Port, on approaching it by sea, is impoeiug, the houses rising one 

 ■bore the other, "nie stnsts in the old town are narrow, steep, sod 

 crooked ; and the houses are dosky looking and old : but both streets 

 •od hooaes have been ocaaidenbly improved of late years. The 

 govsmiiMat-boaaa, the naidanoe of the lieutenant-governor, is a sub- 

 stantial but heavy building. Near it is Elizabeth College, a handsome 

 and extensive biuldiug, surrounded wiUi spacious grouudJs. St Peter's 



church was oonsecratad a.D. 1812. Trinity diureh, formerly a pro> 

 prietary chapel, has been enUrged, and is now a oonvenieut building. 

 St James's ohnroh, erected in 1817, is a neat edifice, having aooom- 

 modaUon for 1800 persons. St John's church, erected in 1836, i* a 

 more ambitious etructure. The Wesleyan, Primitive, and Mew 

 Connexion Methodists, Independents, Biiptists, Quakers, Roman 

 Catholics, and Plymouth Brethren bave places of worship in the town. 

 There are several schools, numerous religious and charitable institu- 

 tions, a literary institute, reading-rooms, several clubs, ke. Ths 

 court-bouse, a neat building, and the new prison, an expenaive but 

 ill-contrived structure, are at Uauteville. The town hospital was 

 erected in 1741-42, and enlarged and improved in 1809-10. In it are 

 received all sick and destitute poor. There are three maricets : the 

 fish-market, whicli is well supplied, is a spacious and handsome arcade, 

 190 feet long, and broad and lofty in proportion, with a double row 

 of marble dabs extending the whole length of tbe building; the 

 other markets are commodious. The markets are open every day, 

 but the principal market-days are Wednesday and Saturday. Ths 

 theatre is a plain building. A promenade, called tbe New Ground, is 

 pleasantly hud out In tbe suburbs are numerous villas and excellent 

 private residences. 



The harbour is formed by two piers ; it is small, and insufllcient 

 for the trade of the place. The roadstead affords a convenient anchor- 

 age, sheltered from tbe south-west winds, and defended by Castle 

 Cornet, built on an insulated rock, somewhat less than half a mils 

 from the shore, from which it ia accessible at low water in spring 

 tides. Fort George, a regular fortification on the heights, about half 

 a mile south of the tovrn, was begun in 1775 : it is considered to be 

 of great strength. Around tbe island are 15 martello towers. The 

 chief shipping trade at present is the carrying trade : the amount of 

 shipping belonging to the island is about 15,000 tons. The principal 

 manufictures are those of tobacco and snuff, soap, candles, Roman 

 cement, bricks, rope, cordage, &c. ; cider is largely made, and spirits 

 are extensively distilled for exportation. 



St. Sampton't Harbour is the only harbour in the island besides 

 St Peter Port Around it a small town has grown up, with an 

 esplanade, &.C., for visitors, and ship-yards, docks, and store-houses 

 for tbe shipping traffic. The Guernsey granite is all shipjwd from 

 St Sampson's Harbour, and there is a steadily increasing trade 

 attached to tbe place. St. Sampson's church is the oldest in the 

 ialand : it is of the 12th century, and resembles the transition early 

 English style. The harbour is defended by the Mount Crevet battery. 



Guernsey, like the neighbouring island of Jersey, has a political con- 

 stitution of its own. The legislative body is ' the States of DeUbera- 

 tion,' which are composed of the bailiff of the royal court, who is 

 speaker ; the proeureur, or attorney of tbe royal court; the rectors of 

 pariiihes ; the delegates of the parishes, one from each of tbe country 

 parishes, and six from the town parish ; and the jurats, or judges of 

 tbe royal court ; in all 37. The bailiff and proeureur are nominated 

 by the crown ; the rectoi-s are presented by tbe governor ; the dele- 

 gates are elected by the islanders. The revenue of the island is 

 derived from the general taxes, harbour-dues, publicans' and spirit 

 retailers' licences, and other sources. The general taxes are levied for 

 parochial as well as general purposes, and are assessed upon capital of 

 almost every kind, including capital in the British or foreign funds, 

 provided it belongs to an individual domiciled in Guernsey. Pensions, 

 salaries, professional income, half-pay, &a, are not taxed. The chief 

 court of justice in the island is the royal court, which consists of the 

 bailiff and 12 jurats, the former appomted by the crown, the latter 

 by the islanders. There is an appad in certain cases to tbe queen in 

 coimcil. Judicial proceedings are conducted in tbe language of the 

 island. Norman customs and ancient precedents form the basis of 

 the civil jurispi'udence, which is a complex mixture of Norman and 

 English law. The power of the court is very extensive. 



The island constitutes a deanery in the diocese of Winchester. The 

 livings are 12 in number, including tbe cbapelries. According to the 

 'Census of Religious Worship,' taken in 1851, there were then in 

 Guernsey and the adjacent islands 64 places of worship, of which 26 

 belonged to four sections of Methodists, 16 to the Church of England, 

 7 to Independents, 6 to Baptists, and 9 to minor bodies. The total 

 number of sittings provided was 28,827. There were 1 1 6 day schools, 

 of which 28 were public with 2477 scholars, and 87 private with 1994 

 scholars. The number of Sunday schools was 33, with 4315 scholars. 

 Of these Sunday schools 17 belonged to Methodists, 12 to the Church 

 of England, 2 to Baptists, and one each to English Indcpcndente and 

 French Independents. 



The small proprietors often unite vritli their other pursuits the 

 trades of carpenter or mason, or some handicraft. If near the coast, 

 they frequenuy unite fishing vrith agriculture. The cottagers are the 

 children of the smoll proprietors, or day-labourers. The cottages are 

 remarkably neat and comfortable within and without. Tbe dialect of 

 tbe island, commonly considered a patois of the French, is rather the 

 Norman of many centuries ago. The knowledge of English is general 

 among the upper classes, and pretty common among the middle 

 classes. 



The principal place of education is Elisabeth College at St Peter 

 Port, founded by Queen Elizabeth in 1563. The education given in 

 this institution is that usually given in a collegiate grammar school 



